Dear readers,
welcome to our first newsletter! We decided to use this format to keep you better informed about what's going on in our team, progress on projects and plans for the future. We would like to publish the newsletter on a regular basis, roughly once a quarter, in line with our project milestones.
The last meeting with you took place on 17th August at Bezno Airport, where we launched our Illustrious rocket for the second time this year. Despite the bad weather we took off and evaluated the day as very beneficial. Thank you for being with us! At the same time we identified areas for improvement, for example in the provision of facilities, which we will take into account for future events.
More information about our launches can be found in the press releases including photos and videos. You can access via the June buttons or via the Media tab.
This year has been full of activities and events. At some of them, our Illustria became the center of attention:
Presentation of the project "Czech journey to space" (20 June 2024):
The event focused on the preparations for the mission of Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda, who is expected to go into space within 5 years. At the follow-up event in Brno, we presented our project in detail, and Illustria was on display in the main hall of both events.
Czech Space Week (October 2024):
Conference, where we presented our results and future plans during a panel discussion. Our new team leader Matyáš Starosta represented us at the event.
Exhibitions
(October-November 2024):
We attended the International Engineering Fair and Gaudeamus, where we brought samples of our tests and flights in addition to Illustria. We rate both events as successful and we are pleased with the interest of visitors.
Recruitment and integration of new members:
This year's recruitment brought over 40 newcomers to the team. In order to integrate them in the best possible way, we organize workshops focused on the basic principles of rocket construction, working with equipment and software. Last year we underestimated the support of newcomers, and this year we want to correct that.
Handing over the lead:
In September, we said goodbye to the members who successfully completed their studies, including most of the leadership team. Matyáš Starosta became the new leader, Vojtěch Ježek the chief engineer and Michael Jurča the secretary. The leadership of each group was also handed over to the active members.
Since the beginning of October, we have held several workshops for new team members. There was a big workshop for the whole team "How rockets work"led by our chief engineer. We discussed the basic principles of missile systems and presented a vision of our future
rockets. This workshop was followed by Safety training focused on shop floor work and testing. The programme was further divided into different groups:
At Propulsion, workshops included grain shape design for a small solid, combustion chamber calculations and a design that can withstand the pressure and temperatures generated during combustion. They then went on to introduce current fueling solutions and our engines.
Group Structures focused on the Illustria rocket, specifically on flight design, tip and tail selection, and aerodynamic stability work. There was also training in working with 3D printers, including selecting appropriate materials for prototypes.
Traditionally, most workshops were held in the group Avionics. New members learned to program in the development environment STM32Cube, design printed circuit boards in KiCAD, solder, measure electrical quantities and test systems. The big ones are followed by mini workshops, where senior members present individual parts of the systems.
The workshops were followed by joint working days, during which we collaborated on larger projects for the first time, working on:
During these days, everyone had the opportunity to try out:
Testing of most of our components is inherent to our business. Based on the test results, we can identify defects and shortcomings in our designs and improve them for the future.
Phoenix Hybrid Motor
Solidní engines Medusa, Kerberos
These engines were tested a total of three times. The aim was to improve the stable tensile curve and to improve grain production using silicon moulds. Improvements included the installation of more accurate temperature sensors to verify the calculations.
Coldflow test
Because of the damage to the chambers, the so-called. coldflow testwhen all components except the ignition were tested. The test included the new quick couplers and also served as a workshop for newcomers. where we demonstrated and tested our launch procedures.
Final tests of the Phoenix hybrid engine
The last test of the old hybrid configuration ended prematurely due to a recurring problem with the main valve at low temperatures. Further tests will take place on the new configuration.
New tail surfaces and a new engi;ne mount were required for the planned Illustria launch. Both parts are very similar in shape but have undergone slight modifications that will be used in the manufacture of the new tail surfaces and engine bed for the new rocket. (The new rocket will have different shapes, so these parts cannot be used.)
The tail surfaces have been reinforced with a foam insert to give better rigidity and possible impact resistance. The glued joint on the engine mounts was redesigned and subsequently tested to 3 kN.
Since the damaged parts are not destroyed, we decided to repair them and move them to the show model. The tail surfaces have been reinforced and the engine mount joined. The same goes for the avionics section. All these parts are in very nice condition, but we can't risk their failure in the next flight.
The new motor mount for the new rocket has been completely designed and FEA analysis and validation of the bonded joints is currently underway. Samples have been produced to test the bonded joints, which directly match the proposed solution. The first tests of the bonded joints have already been carried out and a defect in the adhesion of the glue to the carbon tubes has been detected, probably due to poor machining of the bonded surface.
Over the past year, we have improved every part of our avionics system. From flight computers, to rocket wiring, to batteries, to ground systems and telemetry. All of these systems are supported by our own battery packs, called Bobesh. These take care of not only providing safety systems, but also charging and balancing the batteries on the ramp.
But the new avionics are not just about the rocket. Even our ground systems have undergone iterations. We've decided to take the lessons learned and improve everything we can. We're building systems so that we can untie our hands for other projects in the coming years and just tweak the modular system.
The current tank has good characteristics, but we know that better ones can be designed and manufactured. One team member chose it as the subject of his thesis. The new tank we are currently building will be used for both N2O and ethanol (fuel for a liquid engine). All the pressure will be transferred by carbon fibre and aluminium foil will provide separation from the medium, as epoxy does not fully like N2O.
We currently have the model printed for winding and the RADAX couplers made, which are modified from the universal version to be fully wrapped to form one module that just attaches to the other parts of the rocket.
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We are starting with hybrids, but we don't plan to have it as the main engine in the future. Once it is tuned, we plan to replace it with a full liquid engine, which we would like to fly higher than 9 km in the future. The liquid engine was started during two thesis projects. Currently, the fuel injector and 3D printed steel nozzle from our partner Benes and Lát are tested. We are very excited to be able to fully work on the liquid engine. Of course, we know it's a long run, but we think that early next year we could test a full coldflow and possibly a hotfire afterburner if all goes well.
Our biggest rocket Illustria She had been with us for almost two years, so we wanted to say goodbye to her on her last flight. This flight was to be a symbolic closure of the project and a farewell to the departing team members.
The additional tests were to ensure that the rocket would land safely and the flight would go smoothly. Unfortunately, during testing, problems were discovered with the main valve, which did not work properly at low temperatures. Because we could not guarantee that this fault would not be repeated at launch, we decided to project Illustria close.
Toto rozhodnutí bylo ovlivněno také časovou náročností, kterou si údržba staré konfigurace vyžadovala. Tím jsme riskovali, že nebudeme mít dostatek času na práci na nové raketě pro soutěž EuRoC 2025. The discontinuation of Illustria now allows us to concentrate fully on the development and production of its successor.
We are preparing a new rocket for next year, which will be named Andromeda. This rocket will be equipped with significantly improved systems. Our goal was to repair and improve as many parts as possible to create a foundation that we can draw on in the years to come. This will give us more room for long-term projects, because it is very difficult to design and build a rocket in one year.
Andromeda is already largely developed and is currently undergoing production and programming. Some of the components are already finished and we plan to have the entire rocket assembled before the summer so that we can make a test flight during the summer. Before that, however, there may be partial tests, mainly on the electronic systems.
Our activity is also the creation of final theses. Due to the time demands of studying and working in a team, it is ideal for most members to combine these activities as much as possible. In the past year our members have worked on the following topics, with more planned for next year.
Thank you so much for your support in all areas. We are very happy to be with you on your journey to the stars. And we hope to keep flying together. This time with Andromeda, which we're working hard on.
The team continues to develop its projects and technologies, boasting the first generation of graduates to successfully complete their studies. In addition, a number of members have defended their theses based on team activities. In the past period, the team has achieved two successful rocket launches and continues to intensively test new components. The team is now fully focused on the development of the Andromeda rocket and in parallel has started work on a liquid rocket engine, which represents a significant step forward in technical development. An important part of the progress is also developing cooperation with partners who provide valuable support and expertise.
For more information about the rocket or the CTU Space Research student team, please contact us.
Jindřich Bouška
PR lead
pr@spaceresearch.cvut.cz